Systems and methods for manufacturing electronic device housings

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacturing an electronic device housing includes obtaining a monolithic body of RF transparent material and plating a surface of the monolithic body with a nanograin coating to increase the structural rigidity of the monolithic body. A portion of the nanograin coating is thereafter removed to create an RF window.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/856,989, filed Apr. 23, 2020, which claims priority to and thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/939,329,filed Nov. 22, 2019, which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties.

BACKGROUND

High stiffness materials, such as metal and plastics reinforced withhigh glass fiber and/or carbon fiber load, are used to make conventionalhousings for consumer electronics. However, these materials are eitherconductive or have undesirable dielectric properties and/or poor radiofrequency (RF) transparency. To achieve the desired RF performance,plastics with low dielectric constants and low dissipation factors areused to mold antenna windows. These plastics are conventionally eitherneat resins or with low fiber contents, which results in low stiffnessof these components. These plastics do not have enough strength,modulus, and other mechanical properties to be used to mold the mainenclosures for consumer electronics. The high stiffness metal or plasticmain enclosures and low stiffness but RF transparent antenna windows arejoined by nano-molding, insert molding, or gluing, which are complex andexpensive joining processes and yield lower mechanical and cosmeticqualities.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In some embodiments, an electronic device contains a radio frequency(RF) wireless communication device. The RF communication devicetransmits and receives RF signals through a portion of the electronicdevice housing. RF transparent materials lack the structural rigidity tosupport and protect the electronic components of the electronic device.Cutting or molding an aperture into the housing to allow RF signals inand out of the housing is structurally and aesthetically undesirable.

In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing an electronic devicehousing includes obtaining a monolithic body of RF transparent materialand plating a surface of the monolithic body with a nanograin coating toincrease the structural rigidity of the monolithic body. A portion ofthe nanograin coating is thereafter removed to create an RF window.

In some embodiments, an electronic device includes a monolithic body ofRF transparent material and a nanograin coating position on an outersurface of the monolithic body. The monolithic body at least partiallydefines an internal volume of the electronic device, and a RF wirelesscommunication device is positioned in the internal volume. An RF windowof the monolithic body is positioned adjacent to the communicationdevice. The RF window is a portion of the monolithic body in which thenanograin coating is not present on the outer surface of the RFtransparent material.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subjectmatter.

Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the descriptionwhich follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or maybe learned by the practice of the teachings herein. Features andadvantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means ofthe instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in theappended claims. Features of the present disclosure will become morefully apparent from the following description and appended claims or maybe learned by the practice of the disclosure as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and otherfeatures of the disclosure can be obtained, a more particulardescription will be rendered by reference to specific embodimentsthereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. For betterunderstanding, the like elements have been designated by like referencenumbers throughout the various accompanying figures. While some of thedrawings may be schematic or exaggerated representations of concepts, atleast some of the drawings may be drawn to scale. Understanding that thedrawings depict some example embodiments, the embodiments will bedescribed and explained with additional specificity and detail throughthe use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device, according to atleast one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing anelectronic device housing, according to at least one embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a plating process, according to atleast one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a chart illustrating rigidity comparison of a coated anduncoated panel, according to at least one embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating another method of manufacturing anelectronic device housing, according to at least one embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6-1 is a top view of laser etching a nanograin coating on anelectronic device housing, according to at least one embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6-2 is a bottom view of uncoated connection points of theelectronic device housing of FIG. 6-1 , according to at least oneembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6-3 is a perspective view of a plurality of monolithic bodies withelectrically conductive coating material thereon, according to at leastone embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating yet another method of manufacturingan electronic device housing, according to at least one embodiment ofthe present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 is a top view of masking off an RF window from a nanograincoating on an electronic device housing, according to at least oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates generally to devices, systems, andmethods for manufacturing an electronic device with a radio frequency(RF) transparent window in the housing of the electronic device. Moreparticularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods ofmanufacturing an electronic device housing with an RF window withoutcutting, ablating, or otherwise penetrating through the structural bodypanel of the housing.

In some embodiments, an electronic device has a housing comprises one ormore body panels. Each of the body panels partially defines an internalvolume of the electronic device, and, when the body panels areassembled, the internal volume may contain the electronic components ofthe electronic device. In some embodiments, the electronic componentsare able to be damaged from exposure to electromagnetic (EM) fieldsand/or the operation of the electronic components is adversely affectedby exposure to EM fields. In some embodiments, the body panels provideEM shielding to the electronic components. In other embodiments, thebody panels include RF transparent material and a coating is applied toa surface of the RF transparent material to provide EM shielding to theelectronic components.

In some embodiments, a communication device of the electronic device isconfigured to communicate wirelessly with other communication devicesvia RF signals broadcast and received by the communication devicethrough a portion of the electronic device housing. The communicationdevice is positioned inside the internal volume and the RF signalsbroadcast and received by the communication device pass through an RFwindow in the housing. In some embodiments, the RF window in the housingis a portion of a body panel in which the RF transparent material iscontinuous to provide structural support and strength to the electronicdevice while the coating is absent from the RF window adjacent thecommunication device to allow RF signals to pass through the body panel.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a computing deviceaccording to the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the computingdevice 100 has a plurality of hardware components with which the thermalmodule communicates. In some embodiments, the computing device 100 is alaptop device as illustrated in FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, thecomputing device is a tablet computing device, a hybrid computingdevice, a desktop computing device, a server computing device, awearable computing device (e.g., a smartwatch, a head-mounted device, orother wearable device), a smart appliance (e.g., a smart television, adigital personal assistant or hub, an audio system, a home entertainmentsystem, a home automation system, an in-car infotainment system), orother computer device.

In some embodiments, the computing device 100 has a first portion 102and second portion 104 that are movably connected to one another. Thecomputing device 100 includes various components located in or one theportions of the computing device 100 that are in data communicationthrough one or more buses and interfaces. In some embodiments, thethermal module establishes and uses two-way communication with one ormore of the components. Examples of components include a processor(s)106, input device(s) 108, display(s) 110, hardware storage device(s)112, communication device(s) 114, and other components.

In some embodiments, the processor(s) 106 is a central processing unit(CPU) that performs general computing tasks for the computing device100. In some embodiments, the processor(s) 106 is or is part of a systemon chip (SoC) that is dedicated to controlling or communicating with oneor more subsystems of the computing device 100.

In some embodiments, the display(s) 108 is a liquid crystal display(LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, a thin film transistor(TFT) display, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, or other display. Insome embodiments, the display 108 is integrated into the computingdevice 100, such as illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 1 . In someembodiments, the display 108 is a discrete monitor or other display thatis in wired or wireless data communication with the computing device100.

In some embodiments, the input device(s) 110 is a mouse, a stylus, atrackpad, a touch-sensitive device, a touch-sensitive display, akeyboard, or other input human-interface device. In some embodiments,the input device(s) 108 is part of the computing device 100, such as atrackpad or a keyboard. In some embodiments, the input device(s) 110 isa discrete device in data communication with the computing device 100,such as a stylus in wireless data communication with the computingdevice 100.

In some embodiments, the hardware storage device(s) 112 is anon-transient storage device including any of RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROMor other optical disk storage (such as CDs, DVDs, etc.), magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which canbe used to store desired program code means in the form ofcomputer-executable instructions or data structures and which can beaccessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer.

The processor 106, the hardware storage device 112, the control hardwarefor the input device 108 and/or the display 110, and other electroniccomponents of the electronic device 100 may be adversely affected byexposure to EM fields. In some embodiments, the structural panels of thefirst portion 102 and/or the second portion 104 have a EM shieldingcoating positioned thereon that provides EM shielding to the componentspositioned inside the internal volumes of the first portion 102 and/orthe second portion 104.

In some embodiments, the communication device(s) 114 is in datacommunication with the processor(s) 106 to allow communication with oneor more external computing devices, networks, or components. In someembodiments, the communication device is a network communicationsdevice, such as a wireless (e.g., WiFi) antenna. In some embodiments,the communication device is a short-range wireless communication, suchas a BLUETOOTH connection or a WiFi-Direct connection, that allows datacommunication between the computing device 100 and electronic devices inproximity to the computing device 100. In some embodiments, thecommunication device is a near-field communications (NFC) device that isused for data communication, wireless charging of other componentsand/or accessory devices, or both. In some embodiments, an RF window 116in the first portion 102 and/or second portion 104 allows thecommunication device 114 to broadcast and receive RF signals through thehousing of the electronic device 100.

Referring now to FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, a method 218 ofmanufacturing an electronic device includes obtaining (220) a monolithicbody. In some embodiments, the monolithic body is a body panel of anelectronic device housing. In some embodiments, the monolithic body isthe entire electronic device housing. In some embodiments, themonolithic body is a continuous piece of RF transparent material. The RFtransparent material is continuous throughout the monolithic body. Insome embodiments, the monolithic body has at least one aperture throughthe monolithic body from a first surface to an opposing second surface.In some embodiments, the monolithic body is a first body panel of anelectronic device housing and has at least one structural post thereonto allow connection to a second body panel of the electronic devicehousing.

In some embodiments, obtaining the monolithic body includes injectionmolding the monolithic body. The RF transparent material may be apolymer that is plastic at an elevated temperature and conducive toinjection molding. In some embodiments, obtaining the monolithic bodyincludes machining the monolithic body from a billet or other precursorof the RF transparent material. In some embodiments, obtaining themonolithic body includes forming, stamping, or forging the monolithicbody from a sheet or panel of the RF transparent material. In at leastsome embodiments, obtaining the monolithic body includes injectionmolding an RF transparent material to a near-finished state andsubsequently machining a portion of the RF transparent material from thenear-finished state to produce the monolithic body.

In some embodiments, the RF transparent material is a thermoplasticpolymer. In some embodiments, the RF transparent material isacrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). In some embodiments, the ABS is afiber-loaded ABS. In some embodiments, the RF transparent material isnot directly electroplatable but can be metallized by electrolessplating or other chemical seeding methods, so that the substrate becomeselectroplatable.

The method further includes plating (222) a surface of the monolithicbody with a conductive coating. In some embodiments, the conductivecoating is a nanograin coating in which the average grain size of thecoating material is less than 1 micrometer, less than 100 nanometers(nm), or less than 10 nm. In some embodiments, the conductive coating isa metallic coating including grain of a metal or metal alloy. In someembodiments, the conductive coating includes cobalt, nickel, orcombinations thereof.

In some embodiments, a nanograin coating provides a smoother outersurface with less surface relief and/or texture than a coating with alarger grain size and equivalent thickness. In some embodiments, ananograin coating provides an outer surface with equivalent surfacerelief and/or texture to a coating with a larger grain size with alesser coating thickness. In some embodiments, a nanograin coatingexhibits a more random grain orientation in thin coatings than a coatingwith a larger grain size. A more random grain orientation allows for amore isotropic material property to the coating and the nanograincoating may exhibit less warpage than a coating with a larger grainsize.

In some embodiments, a nanograin coating exhibits improved durabilityand stability relative to a traditional plating of similar or the samematerials. In some embodiments, a nanograin coating exhibits improvedthermal stability, improved solar radiation stability, lower porosity,improved tensile strength, lower thermal expansion, and other improvedbulk material properties relative to a coating with larger grain size.

Nickel coatings can trigger an allergic reaction in some individuals. Insome embodiments, a nanograin coating according to the presentdisclosure includes cobalt. A cobalt nanograin coating maintains themechanical properties disclosed herein while avoiding nickel allergicreactions in users.

In some embodiments, it is aesthetically and/or functionally desirableto have the monolithic body be continuous through an RF window. Forexample, the region of the monolithic body that is adjacent to acommunication device may be structurally important to the rigidity ofthe electronic device housing. In other examples, the region of themonolithic body that is adjacent to a communication device may be avisually prevalent portion of the electronic device, such as the bezelof display cover, a surface near an input device, or other area that isconspicuous while using the device and would be distracting to a user tohave an obvious gap, seam, or other discontinuity in the electronicdevice housing.

To allow a communication device to transmit and receive RF signalsthrough the RF window, the coating is removed (224) from the RF windowwhile maintaining the integrity of the monolithic body and the RFtransparent material of the monolithic body underneath the coating. Insome embodiments, the coating is removed by ablation or mechanicalremoval of the coating from the monolithic body. For example, thecoating may be ablated by a laser, ion beam, or other stream of energizeparticles. In at least one example, the coating is removed by laseretching the coating from the monolithic body. In some examples, thecoating is mechanically removed through friction or erosion of thecoating. For example, the coating may be removed by an abrasive wheel orbelt such as sandpaper, or the coating may be removed by a flow ofabrasive material such as sandblasting.

In some embodiments, a masking material is applied to the RF windowregion of the monolithic body prior to the application of the coating.After the coating is applied to the surface of the monolithic body andto the masking material, the masking material is removed from thesurface of the monolithic body. Removal of the masking materialtherefore removes the overlaid portion of the coating applied to themasking material. In some embodiments, a combination of removal methodis used. In at least one embodiment, the coating at a perimeter edge ofthe masking material is etched or ablated to produce a precisediscontinuity (e.g., a border) around the masking material, and themasking material is subsequently lifted from the surface of themonolithic body. The initial etching or ablation of the coating allowsthe masking material and coating on the masking material to be removedwithout unintentionally removing adjacent coating outside of the RFwindow region. In some cases, masking can be done with a metal fixture.The fixture can be plated for conductivity purpose. In some embodiments,the metal mask or masks function as auxiliary electrodes or electricalshield, which reduce or shield electrical field and prevent metallic iondeposition or plating on the RF window region. After plating, thefixture can be removed to leave the RF window region un-plated.

In some embodiments, application of the coating includes shaping the RFtransparent material into a near finished shape of the monolithic body.For example, FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a plating method of RFtransparent material 326. The surface of the monolithic body is thenchemically etched to provide surface texture and/or sites 328 into whicha first material 330 can be applied. In some embodiments, the firstmaterial 330 is a metal. In at least one example, the first metal 330 iscobalt or a cobalt alloy. The first material 330 is applied in anelectroless application that allows the first material 330 to bond tothe RF transparent material 326. In some embodiments, the RF transparentmaterial 326 is a polymer that is nonconductive and incompatible withelectro-deposition. In some embodiments, the RF transparent material 326is a polymer that is nonconductive, but the polymer is plateable. Forexample, ABS has double bonds of polybutadiene that allow forelectroplating.

In some embodiments, the method of plating further includes usingelectro-deposition to deposit a second material 332 on the firstmaterial 330. For example, the second material 332 may be a second metalthat is electro-deposited onto the first metal. In some embodiments, thesecond material 332 has a thickness of approximately 5-10 micrometers(μm). In some embodiments, the second material 332 has a thickness ofmore than 10 μm or less than 5 μm. The second material 332 provides asubstantially flat and continuous surface upon which the nano-graincoating material 334 is subsequently applied.

In some embodiments, the nano-grain coating 334 has a thickness in arange having an upper value, a lower value, or upper and lower valuesincluding any of 2 μm, 5 μm, 10 μm, 20 μm, 30 μm, 40 μm, 50 μm, 60 μm,70 μm, 80 μm, 90 μm, 100 μm, or any values therebetween. In someexamples, the nano-grain coating 334 has a thickness greater than 2 μm.In some examples, the nano-grain coating 334 has a thickness less than100 μm. In some examples, the nano-grain coating 334 has a thicknessbetween 2 μm and 100 μm.

In some embodiments, the nanograin coating material 334 has an averagegrain size of less than 50 nanometers (nm). In some embodiments, thenanograin coating material 334 has an average grain size of less than 25nm. In some embodiments, the nanograin coating material 334 has anaverage grain size of less than 15 nm. In some embodiments, thenanograin coating material 334 has an average grain size of less than 10nm. In some embodiments, the nanograin coating material 334 has anaverage grain size of less than 5 nm.

In some embodiments, the nanograin coating is applied by physical vapordeposition (PVD). In some embodiments, the nanograin coating is appliedby chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In some embodiments, the nanograincoating is applied by plasma enhanced deposition. In some embodiments,the nanograin coating is applied by electroplating in a fluid.

The nano-grain coating increases the strength of the monolithic body bysupporting the structure and reducing the deflection of the body panelunder force. In some embodiments, a panel of RF transparent material is5-10 times stronger (e.g., resistant to deflection under force) whencoated with between 30 μm and 50 μm of nano-grain coating. A monolithicbody panel can, therefore, be molded or shaped from the RF transparentmaterial to a near-finished state and subsequently strengthened throughthe application of the nano-grain coating. As illustrated in the chartof FIG. 4 , in at least one tested example, a monolithic body of ABSwith the nano-grain coating exhibits half of the deflection at 4.9Newtons of force than a monolithic body of ABS without a coatingexhibits at less than 1.0 Newtons of force.

In some embodiments, a method 418 of manufacturing an electronic devicehousing includes injection molding (436) a monolithic body comprising aRF transparent material. A surface of the injection molded monolithicbody is then plated (438) with a nanograin metallic coating. In someembodiments, the method further includes etching (440) a portion of thenanograin coating at a RF window with a laser or other energized beam.

Referring now to FIG. 6-1 , in some embodiments, the coating material534 is etched using a laser 542 to remove the nanograin coating material534 in the RF window area 544 from the RF transparent material 526without penetrating through the RF transparent material 526. In thisway, the monolithic body 546 remains structurally continuous throughoutthe RF window 516, providing strength and aesthetic improvements over aconventional aperture through the RF transparent material 526.

In some embodiments, the nanograin coating material 534 is electricallyconductive. The electrical conductivity can provide grounding paths forthe electronic components in the interior volume of the monolithic body546. In some examples, the different panels of the electronic devicehousing may be electrically insulated from one another. As illustratedin FIG. 6-2 , in such embodiments, one or more connection points 548 ofthe monolithic body 546 (e.g., the points at which the monolithic body546 connects to other body panels and/or to electronic components, suchas a motherboard or power supply) has the nanograin coating material 534removed. In some embodiments, a coating material 534 applied to theposts on an interior surface of the monolithic body 546 is etched ormasked to remove the nanograin coating from the posts, electricallyinsulating the coated monolithic body 546 through the posts. In otherembodiments, other connection points 548 of the monolithic body 546 areetched or masked to remove the nanograin coating material 534 andelectrically insulated the electronic components attached thereto fromthe coated monolithic body 546.

In some embodiments, the nanograin coating material 534 can provideelectrical conductivity between panels of an electronic device housing.FIG. 6-3 is a perspective view of a base of an electronic device 500. Insome embodiments, the electronic device 500 includes at least a firstmonolithic body 546-1 (e.g., the monolithic body 546 described inrelation to FIGS. 6-1 and 6-2 ) and a second monolithic body 546-2. Thecoating material 534 is positioned on a surface of the first monolithicbody 546-1 and a surface of the second monolithic body 546-2. In someembodiments, the nanograin coating material 534 provides electricalconductivity between the first monolithic body 546-1 and the secondmonolithic body 546-2, for example, for RF shielding and/or electricalgrounding.

In some embodiments, the first monolithic body 546-1 and the secondmonolithic body 546-2 are plated separately and subsequent contact ofthe nanograin coating material 534 allows electrical conductivitytherebetween. In some embodiments, the first monolithic body 546-1 andthe second monolithic body 546-2 are positioned adjacent to andcontacting one another before the nanograin coating material 534 isplated on the surface of the first monolithic body 546-1 and the secondmonolithic body 546-2 to create a continuous surface of nanograincoating material 534, which is electrically conductive throughout.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , in some embodiments, a method 618 ofmanufacturing an electronic device housing includes injection molding(636) a monolithic body of RF transparent material and masking (648) aRF window are of the monolithic body with a masking material. In someembodiments, the masking material is a masking tape or other solidmaterial. In some embodiments, the masking material is a masking oil orother fluid.

The method further comprises plating (638) the monolithic body with ananograin metallic coating and at least a portion of the maskingmaterial. The method then includes removing (650) the masking materialfrom the RF window area so as to create a RF window through thenanograin metallic coating without penetrating the RF transparentmaterial.

FIG. 8 is a top view of an embodiment of a monolithic body 746 withmasked RF window areas 744. The nanograin coating material 734 isapplied to the RF transparent material 726 and at least a portion of themasking material 752. When the masking material 752 is lifted from theRF transparent material 726 to create the RF window 716. In someembodiments, the monolithic body 746 has a single RF window 716. Inother embodiments, the monolithic body 746 has a plurality of RF windows716. In some embodiments, a perimeter 754 of the RF window 716 is etchedto facilitate the removal of the masking material 752. By etching orablating through the coating material 734 or through a portion of thethickness of the coating material 734 around the perimeter 754 of themasking material 752, removal of the masking material 752 may have lesschance of damaging the coating material 734 adjacent the maskingmaterial 752 and outside of the RF window 716.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods formanufacturing an electronic device housing that is stronger and moreaesthetically pleasing to a user than a conventional housing. A bodypanel of a housing according to the present disclosure includes amonolithic body with RF windows that do not have an aperture through theRF transparent material of the monolithic body. By providing an RFwindow through a coating material, RF signals can pass through the RFtransparent material while the body panel remains continuous throughoutthe RF window and the adjacent areas for strength and appearance.

In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing an electronic deviceincludes obtaining a monolithic body. In some embodiments, themonolithic body is a body panel of an electronic device housing. In someembodiments, the monolithic body is the entire electronic devicehousing. In some embodiments, the monolithic body is a continuous pieceof RF transparent material. The RF transparent material is continuousthroughout the monolithic body. In some embodiments, the monolithic bodyhas at least one aperture through the monolithic body from a firstsurface to an opposing second surface. In some embodiments, themonolithic body is a first body panel of an electronic device housingand has at least one structural post thereon to allow connection to asecond body panel of the electronic device housing.

In some embodiments, obtaining the monolithic body includes injectionmolding the monolithic body. The RF transparent material may be apolymer that is plastic at an elevated temperature and conducive toinjection molding. In some embodiments, obtaining the monolithic bodyincludes machining the monolithic body from a billet or other precursorof the RF transparent material. In at least some embodiments, obtainingthe monolithic body includes injection molding an RF transparentmaterial to a near-finished state and subsequently machining a portionof the RF transparent material from the near-finished state to producethe monolithic body.

In some embodiments, the RF transparent material is a thermoplasticpolymer. In some embodiments, the RF transparent material isacrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). In some embodiments, the ABS is afiber-loaded ABS.

The method further includes plating a surface of the monolithic bodywith a conductive coating. In some embodiments, the conductive coatingis a nanograin coating in which the average grain size of the coatingmaterial is less than 1 micrometer. In some embodiments, the conductivecoating is a metallic coating including grain of a metal or metal alloy.In some embodiments, the conductive coating includes cobalt, nickel, orcombinations thereof.

In some embodiments, a nanograin coating provides a smoother outersurface with less surface relief and/or texture than a coating with alarger grain size and equivalent thickness. In some embodiments, ananograin coating provides an outer surface with equivalent surfacerelief and/or texture to a coating with a larger grain size with alesser coating thickness. In some embodiments, a nanograin coatingexhibits a more random grain orientation in thin coatings than a coatingwith a larger grain size. A more random grain orientation allows for amore isotropic material property to the coating and the nanograincoating may exhibit less warpage than a coating with a larger grainsize.

In some embodiments, a nanograin coating exhibits improved durabilityand stability relative to a traditional plating of similar or the samematerials. In some embodiments, a nanograin coating exhibits improvedthermal stability, improved solar radiation stability, lower porosity,improved tensile strength, lower thermal expansion, and other improvedbulk material properties relative to a coating with larger grain size.

Nickel coatings can trigger an allergic reaction in some individuals. Insome embodiments, a nanograin coating according to the presentdisclosure includes cobalt. A cobalt nanograin coating maintains themechanical properties disclosed herein while avoiding nickel allergicreactions in users.

In some embodiments, it is aesthetically and/or functionally desirableto have the monolithic body be continuous through an RF window. Forexample, the region of the monolithic body that is adjacent to acommunication device may be structurally important to the rigidity ofthe electronic device housing. In other examples, the region of themonolithic body that is adjacent to a communication device may be avisually prevalent portion of the electronic device, such as the bezelof display cover, a surface near an input device, or other area that isconspicuous while using the device and would be distracting to a user tohave an obvious gap, seam, or other discontinuity in the electronicdevice housing.

To allow a communication device to transmit and receive RF signalsthrough the RF window, the coating is removed from the RF window whilemaintaining the integrity of the monolithic body and the RF transparentmaterial of the monolithic body underneath the coating. In someembodiments, the coating is removed by ablation or mechanical removal ofthe coating from the monolithic body. For example, the coating may beablated by a laser, ion beam, or other stream of energize particles. Inat least one example, the coating is removed by laser etching thecoating from the monolithic body. In some examples, the coating ismechanically removed through friction or erosion of the coating. Forexample, the coating may be removed by an abrasive wheel or belt such assandpaper, or the coating may be removed by a flow of abrasive materialsuch as sandblasting.

In some embodiments, a masking material is applied to the RF windowregion of the monolithic body prior to the application of the coating.After the coating is applied to the surface of the monolithic body andto the masking material, the masking material is removed from thesurface of the monolithic body. Removal of the masking materialtherefore removes the overlaid portion of the coating applied to themasking material. In some embodiments, a combination of removal methodis used. In at least one embodiment, the coating at a perimeter edge ofthe masking material is etched or ablated to produce a precisediscontinuity (e.g., a border) around the masking material, and themasking material is subsequently lifted from the surface of themonolithic body. The initial etching or ablation of the coating allowsthe masking material and coating on the masking material to be removedwithout unintentionally removing adjacent coating outside of the RFregion. In some cases, masking can be done with a metal fixture. Thefixture can be plated for conductivity purpose. In some embodiments, themetal mask or masks function as auxiliary electrodes or electricalshield, which reduce or shield electrical field and prevent metallic iondeposition or plating on the RF window region. After plating, thefixture can be removed to leave the RF window region un-plated.

In some embodiments, application of the coating includes shaping the RFtransparent material into a near finished shape of the monolithic body.The surface of the monolithic body is then chemically etched to providesurface texture and/or sites into which a first material can be applied.In some embodiments, the first material is a metal. In at least oneexample, the first metal is cobalt or a cobalt alloy. The first materialis applied in an electroless application that allows the first materialto bond to the RF transparent material. In some embodiments, the RFtransparent material is a polymer that is nonconductive and incompatiblewith electro-deposition. In some embodiments, the RF transparentmaterial 326 is a polymer that is nonconductive, but the polymer isplateable. For example, ABS has double bonds of polybutadiene that allowfor electroplating.

In some embodiments, the method of coating further includes usingelectro-deposition to deposit a second material on the first material.For example, the second material may be a second metal that iselectro-deposited onto the first metal. In some embodiments, the secondmaterial has a thickness of approximately 5-10 micrometers (μm). In someembodiments, the second material has a thickness of more than 10 μm orless than 5 μm. The second material provides a substantially flat andcontinuous surface upon which the nano-grain coating is subsequentlyapplied.

In some embodiments, the nano-grain coating has a thickness in a rangehaving an upper value, a lower value, or upper and lower valuesincluding any of 2 μm, 5 μm, 10 μm, 20 μm, 30 μm, 40 μm, 50 μm, 60 μm,70 μm, 80 μm, 90 μm, 100 μm, or any values therebetween. In someexamples, the nano-grain coating has a thickness greater than 2 μm. Insome examples, the nano-grain coating has a thickness less than 100 μm.In some examples, the nano-grain coating has a thickness between 2 μmand 100 μm.

In some embodiments, the nanograin coating has an average grain size ofless than 50 nanometers (nm). In some embodiments, the nanograin coatinghas an average grain size of less than 25 nm. In some embodiments, thenanograin coating has an average grain size of less than 15 nm. In someembodiments, the nanograin coating has an average grain size of lessthan 10 nm. In some embodiments, the nanograin coating has an averagegrain size of less than 5 nm.

In some embodiments, the nanograin coating is applied by physical vapordeposition (PVD). In some embodiments, the nanograin coating is appliedby chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In some embodiments, the nanograincoating is applied by plasma enhanced deposition. In some embodiments,the nanograin coating is applied by electroplating in a fluid.

The nano-grain coating increases the strength of the monolithic body bysupporting the structure and reducing the deflection of the body panelunder force. In some embodiments, a panel of RF transparent material is5-10 times stronger (e.g., resistant to deflection under force) whencoated with between 30 μm and 50 μm of nano-grain coating. A monolithicbody panel can, therefore, be molded or shaped from the RF transparentmaterial to a near-finished state and subsequently strengthened throughthe application of the nano-grain coating. In at least one example, amonolithic body of ABS with the nano-grain coating exhibits half of thedeflection at 4.9 Newtons of force than a monolithic body of ABS withouta coating exhibits at less than 1.0 Newtons of force.

In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing an electronic devicehousing includes injection molding a monolithic body comprising a RFtransparent material. A surface of the injection molded monolithic bodyis then plated with a nanograin metallic coating. In some embodiments,the method further includes etching a portion of the nanograin coatingat a RF window with a laser or other energized beam.

In some embodiments, the coating is etched using a laser to remove thenanograin coating in the RF window from the RF transparent materialwithout penetrating through the RF transparent material. In this way,the monolithic body remains structurally continuous throughout the RFwindow, providing strength and aesthetic improvements over aconventional aperture through the RF transparent material.

In some embodiments, the nanograin coating is electrically conductive.The electrical conductivity can provide grounding paths for theelectronic components in the interior volume of the monolithic body. Insome examples, the different panels of the electronic device housing maybe electrically insulated from one another. In such embodiments, one ormore connection points of the monolithic body (e.g., the points at whichthe monolithic body connects to other body panels and/or to electroniccomponents, such as a motherboard or power supply) has the nanograincoating removed. In some embodiments, a coating applied to the posts onan interior surface of the monolithic body is etched or masked to removethe nanograin coating from the posts, electrically insulating the coatedmonolithic body through the posts. In other embodiments, otherconnection points of the monolithic body are etched or masked to removethe nanograin coating and electrically insulated the electroniccomponents attached thereto from the coated monolithic body.

In some embodiments, the nanograin coating material can provideelectrical conductivity between panels of an electronic device housing.In some embodiments, the electronic device includes at least a firstmonolithic body and a second monolithic body. The coating material ispositioned on a surface of the first monolithic body and a surface ofthe second monolithic body. In some embodiments, the nanograin coatingmaterial provides electrical conductivity between the first monolithicbody and the second monolithic body, for example, for RF shieldingand/or electrical grounding.

In some embodiments, the first monolithic body and the second monolithicbody are plated separately and subsequent contact of the nanograincoating material allows electrical conductivity therebetween. In someembodiments, the first monolithic body and the second monolithic bodyare positioned adjacent to and contacting one another before thenanograin coating material is plated on the surface of the firstmonolithic body and the second monolithic body to create a continuoussurface of nanograin coating material, which is electrically conductivethroughout.

In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing an electronic devicehousing includes injection molding a monolithic body of RF transparentmaterial and masking a RF window are of the monolithic body with amasking material. In some embodiments, the masking material is a maskingtape or other solid material. In some embodiments, the masking materialis a masking oil or other fluid.

The method further comprises plating the monolithic body with ananograin metallic coating and at least a portion of the maskingmaterial. The method then includes removing the masking material fromthe RF window area so as to create a RF window through the nanograinmetallic coating without penetrating the RF transparent material.

In some embodiments, the monolithic body has a single RF window. Inother embodiments, the monolithic body has a plurality of RF windows. Insome embodiments, a perimeter of the RF window is etched to facilitatethe removal of the masking material. By etching or ablating through thecoating or through a portion of the thickness of the coating around theperimeter of the masking material, removal of the masking material mayhave less chance of damaging the coating adjacent the masking materialand outside of the RF window.

The systems and methods according to the present disclosure allow themanufacturing of an electronic device housing that is stronger than apolymer housing without a coating while also providing EM shielding forelectronic components and a RF window for antennae of communicationdevices. The monolithic body is stronger than a body panel with a cutoutRF window and is more aesthetically pleasing to a user than having anaperture through the body panel.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for manufacturingan electronic device housing according to at least the examples providedin the sections below:

-   -   1. A method of manufacturing an electronic device housing, the        method comprising:        -   obtaining a monolithic body of radio frequency (RF)            transparent material (e.g., 326 in FIG. 3 );        -   plating a surface of the monolithic body with a nanograin            coating (e.g., 334 in FIG. 3 ) to increase a structural            integrity of the monolithic body; and        -   removing a portion of the nanograin coating at a RF window            (e.g., 516 in FIG. 6-1 ).    -   2. The method of section 1, wherein obtaining the monolithic        body includes injection molding the monolithic body.    -   3. The method of section 1 or 2, wherein the RF transparent        material is a thermoplastic polymer.    -   4. The method of section 1 or 2, wherein the RF transparent        material is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).    -   5. The method of section 4, wherein the ABS is fiber-loaded.    -   6. The method of any of sections 1-5, wherein plating the        surface includes etching the RF transparent material before        applying a coating material.    -   7. The method of any of sections 1-6, wherein the nanograin        coating includes a metal.    -   8. The method of any of sections 1-7, wherein the nanograin        coating is or includes cobalt.    -   9. The method of any of sections 1-8, wherein removing the        portion of the nanograin coating includes laser etching the        nanograin coating.    -   10. The method of any of sections 1-9, wherein removing the        portion of the nanograin coating includes removing a masking        material from the surface of the monolithic body.    -   11. The method of section 10, wherein plating the surface of the        monolithic body includes plating the masking material with the        nanograin coating.    -   12. The method of any of sections 1-11, wherein removing the        portion of the nanograin coating includes not removing or        penetrating through the RF transparent material.    -   13. An electronic device comprising:        -   a monolithic body (e.g., 546 in FIG. 6-1 ) including an RF            transparent material at least partially defining an internal            volume of the device;        -   a nanograin coating (e.g., 534 in FIG. 6-1 ) positioned on            an outer surface of the monolithic body;        -   a communication device (e.g., 114 in FIG. 1 ) positioned in            the internal volume, the communication device configured to            wirelessly communicate via RF signals; and        -   an RF window (e.g., 516 in FIG. 6-1 ) of the monolithic body            positioned adjacent to the communication device, wherein the            RF window is a portion of the monolithic body in which the            nanograin coating is not present on the outer surface of the            RF transparent material.    -   14. The electronic device of section 13, wherein the RF        transparent material is a polymer.    -   15. The electronic device of section 13 or 14, wherein the RF        transparent material is at least 1 millimeter thick.    -   16. The electronic device of any of sections 13-15, wherein the        nanograin coating is a metallic coating.    -   17. The electronic device of any of sections 13-16, wherein the        monolithic body is a first monolithic body and the nanograin        coating provides electrical conductivity to a second monolithic        body.    -   18. The electronic device of any of sections 13-17, wherein a        structural rigidity of the monolithic body and the nanograin        coating is at least twice that of a structural rigidity of the        monolithic body alone.    -   19. A method of manufacturing an electronic device housing, the        method comprising:        -   injection molding (e.g., 636, FIG. 7 ) a monolithic body            including a radio frequency (RF) transparent material;        -   masking (e.g., 648, FIG. 7 ) a RF window area of the            monolithic body with a masking material;        -   plating (e.g., 638, FIG. 7 ) a surface of the monolithic            body and the masking material with a nanograin metallic            coating; and        -   removing (e.g., 650, FIG. 7 ) the masking material from the            radio frequency window area so as to create a RF window            through the nanograin metallic coating.    -   20. The method of section 19, further comprising:        -   masking at least one structural post of the monolithic body            with a post masking material;        -   plating a surface of the structural post and the post            masking material with the nanograin metallic coating; and        -   removing the post masking material from the structural post            so as to create a nonconductive portion of the structural            post.

The articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there areone or more of the elements in the preceding descriptions. The terms“comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive andmean that there may be additional elements other than the listedelements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “oneembodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are notintended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additionalembodiments that also incorporate the recited features. For example, anyelement described in relation to an embodiment herein may be combinablewith any element of any other embodiment described herein. Numbers,percentages, ratios, or other values stated herein are intended toinclude that value, and also other values that are “about” or“approximately” the stated value, as would be appreciated by one ofordinary skill in the art encompassed by embodiments of the presentdisclosure. A stated value should therefore be interpreted broadlyenough to encompass values that are at least close enough to the statedvalue to perform a desired function or achieve a desired result. Thestated values include at least the variation to be expected in asuitable manufacturing or production process, and may include valuesthat are within 5%, within 1%, within 0.1%, or within 0.01% of a statedvalue.

A person having ordinary skill in the art should realize in view of thepresent disclosure that equivalent constructions do not depart from thespirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that various changes,substitutions, and alterations may be made to embodiments disclosedherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure. Equivalent constructions, including functional“means-plus-function” clauses are intended to cover the structuresdescribed herein as performing the recited function, including bothstructural equivalents that operate in the same manner, and equivalentstructures that provide the same function. It is the express intentionof the applicant not to invoke means-plus-function or other functionalclaiming for any claim except for those in which the words ‘means for’appear together with an associated function. Each addition, deletion,and modification to the embodiments that falls within the meaning andscope of the claims is to be embraced by the claims.

It should be understood that any directions or reference frames in thepreceding description are merely relative directions or movements. Forexample, any references to “front” and “back” or “top” and “bottom” or“left” and “right” are merely descriptive of the relative position ormovement of the related elements.

The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or characteristics. The described embodimentsare to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope ofthe disclosure is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims ratherthan by the foregoing description. Changes that come within the meaningand range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within theirscope.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising: a monolithicbody including an RF transparent material at least partially defining aninternal volume; a nanograin coating positioned on an outer surface ofthe monolithic body; a communication device positioned in the internalvolume under the outer surface of the monolithic body, the communicationdevice configured to wirelessly communicate via RF signals; and an RFwindow of the monolithic body positioned adjacent the communicationdevice, wherein the RF window is a portion of the monolithic body inwhich the nanograin coating is not present on the outer surface of theRF transparent material.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1, whereinthe RF transparent material is a polymer.
 3. The electronic device ofclaim 1, wherein the RF transparent material is at least 1 millimeterthick.
 4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the nanograincoating is a metallic coating.
 5. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the monolithic body is a first monolithic body and the nanograincoating provides electrical conductivity to a second monolithic body. 6.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a structural rigidity of themonolithic body and the nanograin coating is at least twice that of astructural rigidity of the monolithic body alone.
 7. The electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein the RF transparent material is nonconductivematerial.
 8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronicdevice includes one or more body panels.
 9. The electronic device ofclaim 8, wherein each of the one or more body panels partially definesan internal volume of the electronic device.
 10. The electronic deviceof claim 9, wherein the internal volume of the electronic devicecontains electronic components.
 11. The electronic device of claim 10,wherein the one or more body panels provide electromagnetic (EM)shielding to the electronic components.
 12. The electronic device ofclaim 1, wherein the nanograin coating provides EM shielding.
 13. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the communication device isconfigured to wirelessly communicate via RF signals through the RFwindow.
 14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the communicationdevice is one or more of a laptop device, a tablet computing device, ahybrid computing device, a desktop computing device, a server computingdevice, a wearable computing device, and a smart appliance.
 15. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the communication device is awireless antenna.
 16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein thecommunication device is a short-range wireless BLUETOOTH connection. 17.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the communication device is anear-field communication (NFC) device.
 18. The electronic device ofclaim 1, wherein the RF transparent material includes one or more of athermoplastic polymer and an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). 19.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the nanograin coating is lessthan 1 micrometer.
 20. An electronic device comprising: a monolithicbody including an RF transparent material at least partially defining aninternal volume; a nanograin coating positioned on an outer surface ofthe monolithic body; a communication device positioned in the internalvolume, the communication device configured to wirelessly communicatevia RF signals; and an RF window of the monolithic body positionedadjacent the communication device, wherein the RF window is a portion ofthe monolithic body in which the nanograin coating is not present on theouter surface of the RF transparent material.